Governmental grants are provided on the basis of Programme for supporting investments of major importance to the Polish economy for years 2011-2023 (further as the Programme), adopted by the Council of Ministers on July 5, 2011.

Form of support

Support is provided in the form of a grant on the basis of a agreement concluded between the Minister of Economy and the investor. The agreement lays down conditions for the payment of the grant, which is paid proportionately to the degree of fulfilling investor’s commitments.

Beneficiaries

Support can be applied for by companies planning investments in the following priority sectors:

automotive sector,

electronic and household appliances sector,

aviation sector,

biotechnology sector,

food processing sector,

modern services sector,

research and development (R&D).

Support can also be applied for by companies planning manufacturing investments in other sectors if a project’s minimum eligible costs are 750 m PLN and minimum 200 new jobs or 500 m PLN and 500 new jobs (significant investments).

The Programme provides support for investments under the two following categories:

1. Support for creation of new job places (employment grant)

Sector

Employment

and

Investment expenditures

Maximum level of support

Manufacturing:*

automotive

biotechnology

electronics incl. household appliances

aviation

agricultural and food processing

250

PLN 40 million

from PLN 3,200to 15,600 PLN***

BSS

250

PLN 1.5 million**

R&D

35

PLN 1 million**

Significant investment in other manufacturing sectors

200or500

PLN 750 millionorPLN 500 million

* The support is not granted to investment projects located in districts where the unemployment rate is lower than 75% of the country average.** Excluding costs of office space rent.*** Plus 20% for location in Eastern Poland.**** Additionally, 5 percentage points for location in Eastern Poland.

The amount of employment grant depends, among others, on:

1) in case of manufacturing projects:

the number of new jobs created,

the percentage of employees with higher education,

location,

investment expenditures,

sector,

attractiveness of the products on the international markets;

2) in case of services projects:

the number of new jobs created,

the percentage of employees with higher education,

location,

complexity of processes provided by the company.

2. Support for new investment (investment grant)

Sector

Employment

and

Investment expenditures

Maximum level of support

Manufacturing:*

automotive

biotechnology

electronics incl. household appliances

aviation

agricultural and food processing

50

PLN 160 million

from 1.5% to 7.5%**** eligible costs

Significant investment

200

500

PLN 750 millionorPLN 500 million

R&D

35

PLN 10 million**

up to 10% eligible costs

* The support is not granted to investment projects located in districts where the unemployment rate is lower than 75% of the country average.** Excluding costs of office space rent.*** Plus 20% for location in Eastern Poland.**** Additionally, 5 percentage points for location in Eastern Poland.

The amount of investment grant depends, among others, on:

the number of new jobs created,

investment outlays per employee,

location.

Under the Programme, aid is provided exclusively for investment projects whose completion in Poland is conditional on receiving a financial grant from the State budget.

The operator of the Programme and the authority granting state aid is the Minister of Economy. The Polish Information & Foreign Investment Agency (Polska Agencja Informacji i Inwestycji Zagranicznych S.A. - PAIiIZ) is responsible for preparing and providing the Interministerial Committee for Investments of Major Importance to the Polish Economy (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) with the dossier of investment projects and for preparing all documents required to carry out the entire procedure of providing financial support.

Each project is subject to an individual assessment by the Committee on the basis of detailed criteria laid down in the Programme.

Procedure for the award of support:

The investor submits to PAIiIZ information on the planned project, using a standard form signed by persons authorized to represent the investor.

Information is evaluated by PAIiIZ. PAIiIZ provides the Chairman of the Committee with information about the project and a draft offer of financial support, with a justification.

The Committee takes up decision on recommended support for the project and submits recommendation to the Minister of Economy for the final decision on granting the support.

PAIiIZ informs the investor of the Committee’s recommendation. The Investor takes a decision on accepting or rejecting the offer.

After accepting the offer, the investor applies to the Minister of Economy for a letter of intent confirming that the investment may commence.

The Minister of Economy sends to the investor a letter of intent confirming that the investment may commence

Minister of Economy concludes with the investor an agreement on the award of a support.

The support granting procedure can be extended in case of companies applying for two or more instruments of regional aid (government grants and CIT exemption and / or grants co-financed from EU funds).

State aid

State aid offered under the Programme starting from July 1st 2014 is consistent with the rules on the award of state aid in the EU, that is with the Guidelines on regional State aid for 2014-2020 (Official Journal of the European Communities C 209 of 23rd July 2013, page 1) and Commission Regulation (EC) no. 651/2014 of 17th June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the common market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (Official Journal of the European Communities L 187 of 26th June 2014, page 1). The aid that does not fulfill comply with the requirements of the Regulation may be granted after approval by the European Commission according to the procedures specified in the Guidelines on regional aid for 2014-2020.